USDA: Major U.S. dietary patterns are associated with the risk of
developing an age-related eye disease, according to a study funded in
part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service
(ARS). Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic,
progressive eye-disease and is a leading cause of blindness among people
aged 65 and older. For the dietary-patterns study, researchers
analyzed existing data from a major federal clinical trial known as the
age-related eye disease studies (AREDS).
The macula is a 3-millimeter-wide group of light-sensing cells
located near the center of the retina. As the eye ages, oxidized,
damaged proteins and lipids—debris called “drusen”—begin to accumulate
in the macula. This occurs when the damaged components are neither
broken down by enzymes that control protein, lipid, and carbohydrate
quality, nor detoxified via other mechanisms. Measurable drusen is one
key indicator of AMD risk.
The team classified baseline data collected during AREDS on the
eyes of more than 4,000 study volunteers into groups including little
or no drusen, intermediate or large drusen, and advanced AMD. The
researchers also analyzed the participants’ food-consumption data.
Two major food-intake patterns emerged from this analysis. Those
who adhered to the “Oriental pattern” consumed relatively high intakes
of vegetables, legumes, fruit, whole grains, tomatoes and seafood.
Those who adhered to the “Western pattern” consumed relatively high
intakes of red meat, processed meat, high-fat dairy products, French
fries and refined grains.
The analysis showed that adherence to the Oriental pattern is
associated with reduced odds of drusen and advanced AMD, and people who
consumed the Western pattern had markedly increased odds. Read more about this research in the May 2015 issue of AgResearch magazine. ARS is the USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.